Switching devices for switching electric currents can contain vacuum tubes. Document DE 32 16 251 A1 discloses, for example, a vacuum tube for switching an electric current. This vacuum tube contains a movable contact and a fixed contact, which contacts can be separated from one another in order to switch off the electric current and which can be placed in contact in order to switch on the electric current.
The switching qualities of such a switching device comprising a vacuum tube, such as are used e.g. in power switches or contactors, are usually adapted to the properties of the operating location. For example, in the case of a switching device with vacuum tubes the switching course therefore depends on the air pressure and therefore on the altitude. A further aspect is the installation direction in which the gravity can act in the direction or counter to the direction of the switching. This speeds up or slows down the circuit. Different switching forces give rise to switching speeds and times which differ from the setpoint value. These ideally have to be ideally corrected.